Just let everyone plop a house on their Island Sanctuary

[Ayan_Calvesse]

Instanced Housing is quite a popular alternative. Elder Scrolls Online does this and it prevents situations like in FF14 where getting a house can be tougher than in real life.

As someone who owns a home IRL I can assure you - FF is far easier.

[Jojoya]

Well, with all my respect that's kinda useless, because who is actually gonna bother and come visit your Island house? unless they have you as a friend?

Why would I want total strangers coming to my house to ERP in it? Though I have to admit, it's happened on two occasions in the past that I know of.

Like Erineliza, I have the house for my personal pleasure and not to show off to others. I don't mind others visiting. I also wouldn't care if they never did.

This is another situation where I have to mention RIFT. RIFT had a great system for players who wanted to share their housing with other players. You had to choose to make your housing public. Players could then search by all time likes, weekly likes, title keyword search, location search. Considering the Dimensions that were getting 5000+ likes when the game had a healthy population, it was effective at sharing.

After Yoshi said flat out that it wasn't for housing, I gave up on island sanctuary being anything but a bad animal crossing diversion. We can't even put all this useless outdoor furniture on it. So disappointing.
If we got housing attached to it, I'd only ask that friends have an easy teleport option via the friends list.

Now placing outdoor furniture in Island Sanctuary is something that YoshiP announced they're actively working on. There's a small chance it might be ready for 6.4 though personally I wouldn't expect it until 7.0.

It will probably also be limited to the Hideaway area. Kind of a shame, there are some nice spots on the hillsides in the Wilds where it would be fun to pitch a tent.

[Pablomaldito]

My only issue with making Island Sanctuary an alternative housing location is that your house would only be accessible while you are online. Instanced house exteriors accessed via a directory in a ward (like apartments) would avoid similar limitations in accessibility.

[Carin-Eri]

Instanced Housing is quite a popular alternative. Elder Scrolls Online does this and it prevents situations like in FF14 where getting a house can be tougher than in real life.

Really?!

I have to respectfully disagree! The choices are generally FAR more limited IRL, unless you buy a new-build you are basically moving into a house that is laid-out the way someone else wanted it (and yes you can change it, but you're not starting with a clean slate).

And when you DO find a house you like? You have to arrange to view it. Then you have to put in an offer IF you like it (not a given, the pictures don't always match the reality!). Then you're left waiting and hoping that someone else doesn't make the lender a better offer. Which they all too often do.

And if your offer IS accepted? You have to employ a solicitor due to all the legal nonsense house purchases entail, pay stamp duty (in the UK anyway) and sign countless items of paperwork pertaining to ownership and the mortgage.

And THEN you have to wait for the previous owner of the house to move out, which can take a while if they haven't already found another property themselves!

So respectfully, FFXIV housing is a damn cakewalk compared to buying one in real life, which is often cited as one of the top most stressful things a person will do in their lifetime.

[KarinaTyrsdottir]

Really?!

I have to respectfully disagree! The choices are generally FAR more limited IRL, unless you buy a new-build you are basically moving into a house that is laid-out the way someone else wanted it (and yes you can change it, but you're not starting with a clean slate).

And when you DO find a house you like? You have to arrange to view it. Then you have to put in an offer IF you like it (not a given, the pictures don't always match the reality!). Then you're left waiting and hoping that someone else doesn't make the lender a better offer. Which they all too often do.

And if your offer IS accepted? You have to employ a solicitor due to all the legal nonsense house purchases entail, pay stamp duty (in the UK anyway) and sign countless items of paperwork pertaining to ownership and the mortgage.

And THEN you have to wait for the previous owner of the house to move out, which can take a while if they haven't already found another property themselves!

So respectfully, FFXIV housing is a damn cakewalk compared to buying one in real life, which is often cited as one of the top most stressful things a person will do in their lifetime.

I don't think you're entirely wrong, but there's missing context here. As a homeowner, I can say all of what you said has been proven by my experience to be true.

However.

When I bought my house IRL, I didn't show up the day of signing for the key to be told "hey sorry someone showed up just before your appointment and we flipped a coin and you lost so it's actually going to go to them. Have a good one, better luck next time!"

[not_ya_wify]

sometimes i feel like im the only one who likes having a house next to other players

You're not alone. Plenty of people love that. Just the people in this forum complain because they don't have a house.

[Stormpeaks]

sometimes i feel like im the only one who likes having a house next to other players

You really are not alone, it's just the people without a house that try and force instanced housing or island housing because of desperation /shrug

[PredatoryCatgirl]

You really are not alone, it's just the people without a house that try and force instanced housing or island housing because of desperation /shrug

I have a house. I don't want to lose my house. I also want everyone else to have a house. Instanced housing is a great idea to offer in addition to ward housing. I don't know where this idea comes from that the two are mutually exclusive.

[Khryseis_Astra]

I have a house. I don't want to lose my house. I also want everyone else to have a house. Instanced housing is a great idea to offer in addition to ward housing. I don't know where this idea comes from that the two are mutually exclusive.

This. It doesn’t have to be either/or. And most of us campaigning for instanced don’t want anything taken away from anyone. We just want everyone to be able to participate in housing.

The whole “I got mine, so I don’t care” attitude is tiring. If you have a house you enjoy, great! No need to be unnecessarily negative and shout down the ideas of people who are just trying for the same thing. Because I guarantee you, if everyone is able to have the house they want, you’ll start seeing a lot less of these sub farm complaints, housing tax posts, and other penalty schemes for opening up more houses.

Right now, the only way to get a house in NA is to hope enough people get their houses demolished, or move to a new server (which for some is not a viable solution). I’d rather see a system where everyone can actually be satisfied. Ward owners can stay in the wards, but those that can’t luck into them need something equivalent. They shouldn’t have to go without just because there’s too few plots for everyone on a server to have one.

[Jojoya]

You're not alone. Plenty of people love that. Just the people in this forum complain because they don't have a house.

Some like the wards, some don't.

I've never met the owner of the house across from mine. The only reason I know they're active using their house is because I see the outdoor furnishings changed to include new items on occasion. Generally the only time I'm meeting someone else in a ward is if I'm at my FC's house and other members are there as well. Trips to the Material Supplier or a marketboard rarely lead to encounters with other players.

Other players dislike being stuck next to the Paissa houses or someone who's put up a half dozen Namazu effigies. They want their housing area to look nice without having an eyesore from next door distracting from it.

If we're never getting to meet our neighbors or end up stuck looking at something we consider not just unattractive but obnoxious, then many of us would prefer a good instanced housing system. Most of us do not want the wards taken away from you so the ward plots would still be available. We do want something different added.

Some of us have suggested that the existing wards have the entry portals to new instanced areas. That not only gives us the housing experience we want, it would improve the housing experience for those who enjoy the wards as it would increase the foot traffic passing by your houses.

Want to own more ward houses? Good instanced housing would open up many of ward plots for purchase as players who aren't enjoying the wards or hate the risk of demolition move to an instanced area not to mention less competition in the lottery.

Everyone could come out a winner except those who feel special because they managed to get decent housing while other players can't. Do you genuinely see that as a bad thing?